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SE Cesar Chavez Boulevard, which closed between SE Hawthorne and SE Division on June 28th, re-opened to all traffic before the morning commute on Tuesday, July 9. Environmental Services closed the street to replace a 120-year-old sewer and install a large manhole in the intersection of SE Harrison and Cesar Chavez.

The city’s agreement with the project contractor, Moore Excavation of Portland, required the closure to last no longer than 21 days. By working around the clock, Moore Excavation was able to complete the sewer work in eleven days. The contractor removed traffic controls and re-opened Cesar Chavez shortly after midnight on July 9.

Portland’s sewer system contains about 2,500 miles of pipes and more than one-third of the pipes are over 80 years old. Sewer construction in SE Cesar Chavez was part of the Rose City Sewer Repair Project, which is repairing or replacing aging sewers along 21 streets in northeast, southeast and southwest Portland.

“The early completion of this project is great news for motorists, residents and business owners and I appreciate their patience while we completed this important work,” said City Commissioner Nick Fish. “This project creates an improved sewer system that will reliably serve this neighborhood and protect our environment for decades to come.”

“I want to thank those in the community who gave us such good input during the planning for this project and throughout construction,” said Environmental Services Director Dean Marriott. “The excellent community involvement was a big part of why we were able to complete this work sooner than anticipated.” Marriott also credits a well-designed traffic control plan, a 24-hour flagging operation and targeted enforcement by the Portland Police Bureau Traffic Division with helping to keep the area safe throughout construction.

This segment of the Rose City Sewer Project allowed Environmental Services to abandon a 54-inch concrete and brick sewer the city constructed 120 years ago. The work included connecting several properties and storm inlets to the new sewer, which will serve thousands of properties in a two-acre area. Rose City project sewer construction now moves to SE Harrison Street, 40th Avenue and 41st Avenue with a daytime-only work schedule.